Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:25:17 -0400
From: Timothy Keim
Subject: pittsboro water supply
Why are we discussing McDonalds when there seems to be more important issues in this town?? Perhaps our main concern, after all, is burgers and fries..
Following is from the “Pittsboro Together” http://www.pittsborotogether.org/
Dear Citizens of Pittsboro,
As many of you know, Pittsboro’s water supply is contaminated with more than twice the federal limit of a well-known carcinogen, trihalomthanes. This situation has persisted for so long that the State of North Carolina will fine Pittsboro $30,000 if a solution is not found soon. From a recent brochure recently sent to you by the Town of Pittsboro, the town’s solution is a process called chloramination.
Chloramination is the addition of ammonia to the existing chlorination in order to minimize cancer causing trihalomethanes. The brochure isn’t telling you the whole story.
Several communities, like Greenville, NC and Goldsboro, NC have used chloramination, and suddenly found frightful levels of lead in their water and in the bloodstreams of their children. Lead causes brain damage in fetuses and children. Pittsboro is hoping to learn from the mistakes of others and bypass this problem. If the town succeeds, it will have dodged but one bullet of the barrage.
Chloramination, like chlorination, produces hundreds of disinfection by-products. Most of them are unknown and unregulated. Those that are known, like nitrosamines, iodinated acids and hydrazine, are extremely toxic and even more dangerous than trihalomethanes. This is a bad option for Pittsboro. Across the country acute disease symptoms have been reported in reaction to the change to chloramination.
Exchanging one group of toxic chemical disinfection by-products for another makes no sense and puts your health at risk. And all this has been done without so much as a hearing or public comment period.
Additionally, this is not an economical solution either. From the best estimates, the toxic chemicals mentioned above will soon be regulated. All municipalities will have to test for them. When these toxins are regulated we’ll have to seek yet another solution. We’ll be right back where we started from: bathing in a soup of toxic chemical by-products that cause cancer and birth defects, and having to spend more money to correct the problem that could have been avoided with a little more thought and care.
We have until September to stop this. As citizens, we can influence our leaders to look at better solutions. Solutions that will protect our health and Pittsboro’s economic future. Please contact our local officials: Mayor Randolph Voller (randy-at-earthlink.net), Town Board Commissioners, Gene Brooks, Chris Walker (cwalker-at-myyesbank.com), Pamela Baldwin (pamelabaldwin-at-dentistry.unc.edu), Hugh Harrington (hughharrinton-at-nc.rr.com), Clinton Bryan (cbryan-at-ecnissan.com) and Town Manager William Terry (wgterry-at-nc.rr.com). (Gene Brooks can be contacted by leaving a letter at town hall as he doesn’t have email)They are all people of good will and want the best for Pittsboro, but they can’t do this by themselves. They need our help. They’ve been presented with a faulty solution and are under the threat of a steep fine.
Perhaps the best solution would be some combination of granulated carbon ultrafiltration, and ultra violet light disinfection. There are other options as well. Over time, these alternatives will prove more cost effective and healthier in every way to Pittsboro.
Together we can help chart a green, clean future for Pittsboro. Our reputation as a community who cares about its health will have untold benefits.
Government is the creature of the people. Our complaints about its effectiveness are complaints about our own failure to act. We can animate the body politic or allow others to do it for us. Stand up, raise your voice and watch the people’s will be done.
For more info please see my articles in the May edition of the Chatham County Line and the May 11th edtion of the Chapel Hill Herald Sun
For the sake of your family’s health, please act now.
Sincerely,
Timothy Keim
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